Labelled Caustic

Chp 5: Fitful Awakenings

**********

"Oh I just couldn´t!" Ginny said incredulously. "I just couldn´t!" Draco took the box from her hands and took out the glittering diamond, hanging on a thin spool of pure silver.

He pushed away her flaming curls gently and placed the tear shaped diamond round her neck, carefully putting on the clasp.

Ginny felt tears run down her face and her hand reached for the diamond, when she looked down at it and examined it she was surprised. Within the diamond was the image of a tiny dragon.

"It´s been with me for years. It´s yours now," Draco said simply, as if it had no significance at all. Ginny practically lunged at him with her hug and he was thrown on his back.

"Get a hold of yourself woman!" he cried. She planted him with wet kisses and hugged him with all she could. Draco laid his head on her shoulder and breathed her in. It was absolutely heavenly.

She backed away and looked rather forlorn all the sudden. "What´s the matter?" he asked.

"My presents aren´t this good," Ginny said as she blew air through her teeth. "I can´t accept this when all I give you is so pathetic."

"I haven´t even seen it yet! Hand it over!"

She pulled a face and took it out of her cloak pocket. He took his time to unwrap it as Ginny lay on her back.

When he opened it he saw a black hard cover book. Emblazoned on the font in tiny gold lettering were the words : Cras amet qui nunquam amavit; Quique amavit, cras amet

Which vaguely translated to: May he love tomorrow who has never loved before;
And may he who has loved, love tomorrow as well.

He found this rather fitting actually. He opened the book carefully not wanting to break the spine and read the first page:

To Draco,

Use it well.

Love, Ginny

He frowned and realised that it was a journal. He found it entirely ironic yet so innocent.

He noticed there was something else, a black hand-knitted sweater. Draco shook his head and chuckled. What did he expect from a Weasley? But the presents spoke a million words to him. He understood. Draco felt rather terrible at this point at what he planned to do to her. At what she was going to go through.

For the moment he pushed it aside and glanced over at Ginny who was staring up at the sky above her. At that moment he just wanted to kiss her.

He crept nearer and kneeled over her, hands and knees on either side of her. She gave him a tiny smile and she bit her lip. That just did it for him. He bent down and kissed her breathless and softly nicked her neck.

"Did I just tell you that this is my best Christmas, ever?" she asked breathing in deeply with her eyes wide and smiling.

Draco gave her his best smile and silently battled his conscience. Then again why should he have to battle it? He was a Malfoy, not someone who would love a Weasley. Then again, he did not want to serve the Master his Father did. He didn't want that life that was his birth right. He made way for the waves of his headache.

**********

"Is all going well with your plan Draco?"

"Yes father, all is well. She doesn´t suspect a thing," Draco muttered into the head that appeared in the common room fireplace.

"Good. We shall be expecting you soon. Do not fail Draco," With that Lucius Malfoy´s head disappeared. Leaving Draco alone to his thoughts.

"Just smashing," he whispered. It was rather late, a few hours back he had sent Ginny back to her tower and now he had to devise his next move and be swift about it.

He sat there for what seemed only like a few minutes but was actually several hours. He watched the sunrise and the heaviness on his chest was about to crush him so hard that he felt like he couldn´t breathe.

He had to do it soon, but he couldn´t just yet. He just couldn´t crush her the way the guilt was crushing him. What was he saying! He was going mad.

Was he feeling what he called love? Wasn´t it just part of his plan? It wasn´t supposed to consume him this way. He kneaded his temples. He was rather tired of this. It wasn´t just a charade anymore.

"It can´t be, it just couldn´t," Draco muttered over and over like a mantra.

"No way in hell!" He suddenly shouted. Draco exhaled and opened his eyes and looked towards the window. His eagle owl was flying toward him with a package in tow; it swooped in gracefully and perched on the table in font of him dropping the small package in his hands.

Draco pocketed the package and patted his owl. His owl was extremely intelligent and it reads one´s actions rather well. As Draco stood and walked toward his dorm his owl followed behind him.

He went over to his desk and took hold of a few pieces of stray parchment that littered his desk and grabbed his quill. He stared at the paper and took in a deep breath and scribbled away. When he finally finished he folded the parchment and sealed it. Draco´s throat seemed rather dry. He shook his head. `This is just getting too fucking ridiculous,´ he thought. `This isn´t love. Just some ploy,´

"It isn´t real!" he yelled to no one in particular.

"Keep telling yourself that dear, it might turn out to be true," the mirror in the dorm said wheezily.

The next sound was glass shattering and his owls reproachful hoots. Draco withdrew his bleeding fist, `7 years bad luck. It might cancel out the one I have since the day I was born,´ his mind recoiled.

He turned back to face his owl and gave it specific instructions about the letter he wanted it to deliver. The owl gave a hoot of understanding and quickly took flight.

Draco himself took off with a swish of his cloak and steadied himself. He felt weak, nervous and guilty but on the surface he was calm, steady and oozed confidence out of every pore. He was meeting Ginny at the balcony that had become one of their favourite haunts.

"Well if it isn´t the delectable morsel that is Draco Malfoy," Ginny smirked with hands crossed over her chest, when he got there.

"Indubitably," Draco said without a smile.

His heart went asunder as the time came to do what he must, his mind slapped him around and he felt a surge of anger with such ferocity that the windows around them shattered to the ground.

Ginny glanced with wide eyes and Draco just feigned ignorance and sent them flying back into their frames with a spell.

He took her hand and slid it into his robe pocket. "Aren't we randy this morning?" Ginny asked crudely, rolling her eyes. He just continued looking at her cocking his head to the side. She swallowed a little harder and her hands clasped onto something. She fished it out and frowned at the package.

"Draco, not another! I really can´t!" She pleaded with a smile.

Draco didn´t say anything but just moved closer to her and held her hand. He was still bubbling with rage within him but he just controlled himself. `It has to be done.'

She frowned deeply and opened the package. When she opened the box and saw a ring with an M emblazoned on it she turned and looked at him with a questioning expression.

He wanted to say what he was feeling right then but she touched it. Just then Ginny felt a sudden rush and her body being pulled forward by a force. She looked at Draco with surprise but he was looking away from her and then the Portkey jerked them forward.